Lucas was exhausted. He hadn't felt this much, or been around people for such an extended period in a long, long time. He wasn't upset, just emotionally beat, and he needed to rest. He also owed a visit to his mom so she'd know he was okay, not lying on the side of the road somewhere.
Thanking Nate and Hales for their understanding and acceptance, he hugged James and promised a game of b-ball soon. Nathan, seeing life back in Lucas' eyes, knew he was on his way back, and hugged his brother tight for a moment. They watched as Lucas walked out to his car and drove away, giddily happy that things seemed to be looking up.
"Oh Brookie! You did it! He was so much better this morning! Thank you! I knew you'd be able to get through to him!" Haley was gushing, unable to contain her excitement.
"Whoa, easy now! Let's not get ahead of ourselves! There's still much to be talked about, and I haven't really done anything for Lucas other than just say it's alright. I've got tons of questions, and I'd like some answers if we've got some time."
"Anything, tigger, if you can bring out this kind of change in Lucas with half the knowledge you need and a bunch of questions, I'm all yours until you see the whole picture. Ask away!"
Nathan, seeing another long girlie session, suggested he and James take the other presents and go make the rounds. Promising to meet back up at the diner for their annual Christmas dinner with everyone, Brooke and Haley retired to the living room again, while Nathan and James packed up the gifts and headed out.
"Alright, so what questions do you have?" Haley sat cross-legged on the couch and looked expectantly at Brooke.
"So how come no one mentioned Lily's death? I would have thought that merited a phone call or something." She tried not to sound angry, but in truth she was. This could all have been avoided if she'd known what was up when it all started. What she couldn't figure out was who she was more mad at: herself, or her friends.
"When Lily died we all wanted to bring the gang back together. But Lucas was insistent that we not tell you or Rachel or Skillz, since you guys had managed to escape the soap opera that is Tree Hill. I tried to contact you anyways, but Lucas heard me talking to Karen about calling you and he got really mad. Said he didn't want anyone who wasn't already here to know about. Claimed there was no sense in everyone being upset. He was teetering on sanity as it was, and Karen thought it would be better to just let him have his way. So we all kept our mouths shut." Haley was talking fast, trying to get it all out before Brooke got too mad. Thankfully, Brooke just nodded and motioned for Haley to keep talking.
"I tried countless times to call and tell you about it, but each time I thought the timing was okay, something else would go wrong with Lucas and he'd sink back into the black hole he'd dug for himself. First, it was Karen getting hurt. Then it was Amber moving in. After that, it was the first fight between Luke and his mom. I just stopped trying. I figured at that point, there was so much to tell you that I wouldn't be able to stop at just Lily's death, and I knew you were trying to move on."
"Hales, you should have told me!"
"Oh tigger, I know. But you were finally starting to develop your own life, and well, I just couldn't bring you down with the rest of us. By the time I'd managed to convince myself I had to talk to you, we were all suffering from Lucas' depression, and I kept telling myself you deserved to be left alone. You'd managed to escape it all, who was I to trap you again?" Haley sniffed, trying really hard to not cry. She'd done enough crying yesterday.
"Haley, listen to me. You guys are my life! My family! I didn't leave to cut myself off from you guys, just so distance myself from the pain of all that happened in high school. I wasn't trying to banish you guys, I just wanted a chance to breathe and see what I could make of myself. You have to promise me, right here and now, that you wont ever keep anything from me like this again. If something happens, you HAVE to tell me." Brooke reached out and grasped Haley's hands in her own. It was time to reestablish connections. It was time to ground herself in reality. She felt immensely guilty for running like she had.
"I promise! It feels so good to have you back! You were our rock! You and Lucas. And I don't even mean as a couple, just you two as people. When you left, things started to crumble. Then Lucas withdrew, and we all fell apart. I haven't talked to Peyton in forever and a day, I don't even know how she's doing. And Skillz! Last I heard, he was in Washington loving life. Rachel and I talk sometimes because she feels the same need to be a part of something like I do, and well, everyone else in town has felt the shadow that Lily's death brought on. I'm so glad you're here!" She hugged Brooke tightly, finally coming clean about everything. A burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and she was so happy.
"Whew! Now that that is out of the way, let's move on to my next question. How in the hell did the slime-ball that passed as an ex-boyfriend get to Karen again?! Shouldn't he have been in jail or something?" Brooke was thoroughly confused.
"Ah. Him. Well, after Lily's death he disappeared. The night Lily was rushed to the hospital he let Karen go to the hospital alone, and when she got back home, he was gone. Bags packed, no note. He even stole cash from Karen's wallet to get away. We all searched for him, gave the cops every piece of information we had on the scuzbag, but they came up empty handed."
"Why does it always seem like the bad guys are freaking magicians?!" Brooke was pissed. Just like fate to let an ass like him to make a clean get away, while everyone else was left to pick up the pieces.
"Tigger, I wish I knew the answer to that one. When he showed back up at Karen's, none of us had any idea. Lucas was in another bar, Nathan and I were trying to keep our group of friends together, and well, we just didn't think about checking up on Karen. Apparently when Lucas got the phone call from Karen, he literally beat the guy up and threatened to kill him if he ever showed his face in Tree Hill again. Why he didn't just call the cops, I don't know. But it seems like a trend for us. We would rather deal with shit ourselves than let the law handle it."
"Aint that the truth. I can't even begin to count all the times that we should have called the cops instead of getting into knock down, drag out fights. But it does lend itself nicely to dramatic flair though. Oh, and the whole tough guy exterior. I always thought Lucas was so incredibly hot after he'd finished beating up some jerk ass." Grinning sheepishly, she was shocked that she's just admitted that.
Laughing, Hales smacked Brooke on the shoulder playfully, and they broke into a fit of giggles to release the tension of talking about such onerous topics. Finally getting the full story on Lily's death and Karen's ex, the rest of what happened seemed to just not matter. Yes, there was more, but this was the key to Lucas' deep depression and desolation, and that was what Brooke needed to start with. Clearing away the dishes and organizing the house, Brooke and Haley dressed for Christmas dinner, and went into town.
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Karen's diner was packed. She'd closed the place down for the dinner, and the only guests allowed in were friends and family. Rachel, knowing that Brooke was going to be in town, had arrived the night before and was sitting with Mouth talking about what all had gone on over the past three years. Skillz was there, which made Nathan happy, and they were swapping game stories. James was playing with Karen, who was trying very hard not to think about what her own daughter would have been like at this age. She was coping well with the loss of her daughter, even though it had only been a year. Some of the other girls from the squad, along with some guys from the team that were still in town, had come for the dinner, and were adding a happy atmosphere to the quaint restaurant.
Brooke and Haley walked in, the door chiming as it opened, and everyone started laughing and talking at the same time. Brooke was enveloped in hug after hug, and she nearly started crying with all the joy and love she felt. She was home, for the first time she felt like she belonged somewhere since leaving. She wondered why she hadn't come back sooner. And she wondered if she was going to be able to leave when it was time to go back to New York...or if she even wanted to.
Looking around the diner, she spotted Karen who was sitting in the corner staring out the window. Nodding to one of the girls who was talking to her, she excused herself and wandered over to her.
"Hey there Karen, Merry Christmas!" Brooke stood by, uncertain as to whether or not Karen would welcome the interruption.
"Oh Brooke! My goodness it's great to see you! I'm so glad you came back for the holidays." Karen turned, her eyes alight with true joy in seeing the girl who had been like a daughter to her, and hugged her tight.
"Me too. I'm kicking myself for being gone for so long. How are you doing?" Brooke knew something was bothering the woman, and while she didn't want to tread on tender feet, she also wanted her to know she was there if Karen needed to talk. She'd done as much and more for Brooke when her own parents had left, and she hated seeing the woman who had been like a mother to her so down and upset.
"I'm alright, all things considered. I was watching for Lucas, he had said they'd be here by now."
"They?" Oh...right. The girlfriend.
"Yes, Amber and Lucas. She was sleeping when Lucas came home, and we talked for a little while. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it was to talk to him again! We hadn't talked like that in ages! Lucas took Li - Lily's death really hard." A tear slipped from Karen's eye at the mention of her daughter, but she sniffed hard and pulled herself together. Today was a day for joy and happiness in being with family. Not tears and sadness, mourning over someone lost.
"Hey, it'll be alright. Lucas will find his way through this. He's actually why I'm here, Haley called and asked me to come and see if I could help him. I'm glad you and he were able to talk though. That's reassuring." Hmm, so Brooke was going to get to meet the girlfriend eh? This should be interesting. She hadn't really gotten a chance to talk about the mysterious phone call she'd gotten at the start of all this, and she was curious to see what kind girl she was.
"Oh look, here they come now." Karen stood up and straightened her shirt, trying to gather her wits and her strength. It was clear just how much she did NOT like Lucas' girlfriend.
Walking inside, Lucas held the door for Amber who came strutting in like she owned the place. Dressed in cheap hooker gear, she looked like she belonged on the streets of Manhattan hawking her goods instead of walking into a family dinner with children present. The single guys in the room gawked, the single girls scoffed and thought she was a tramp. All the taken guys just sighed and turned away, knowing she wasn't even worth the time to have a reaction, and the taken girls wanted to throw a potato sack over her and drop her off at the nearest bus station. She was such a trouble maker.
Lucas, well, he looked embarrassed. Thoroughly, utterly embarrased. He scanned the room looking for someone, and when he saw his mother and Brooke standing together, his face flushed even further. Brooke looked so classy in a pair of black slacks and red cropped sweater. She'd put on some green jingle bell earrings, and her hair was pulled back in a loose hair clip, letting some curls slip free to frame her face. Lucas knew instantly that he shouldn't have come, shouldn't have brought Amber here. She could never stand up to Brooke's classiness and she would never fit in with his friends and family. In yet what seemed like another first in a long line, he actually saw what his friends saw, and realization slowly dawned on him. What just was he doing with this girl?
"Well, Merry Christmas everyone!" Amber's shrill voice cut over all the noise and whatever attention she hadn't had, was now focused on her. Which was exactly what she liked. Reaching behind her, she grabbed Lucas' hand and settled it on her hip. For a moment Lucas looked as if he was going to step forward. Then he shook his head like he was waking up from a nasty dream, removed his hand from Amber's hip, and walked forward to hug his mom. A shocked Amber was left standing at the door, anger slowly building inside. Just who did he think he was!? And who was the girl standing with his mom?
"Lucas, hunny, where are you going?" Amber stepped forward to stand by his side, all the other eyes in the room having suddenly found much more interesting things to look at. Although a certain handful of old friends held their breath as they watched the unfolding scene.
She seriously needs to get those slutty paws off my broody boy. If she opens that obnoxious mouth one more time, I swear, I can't be held responsible for my actions. I swear! Could she make it any more obvious how badly she treats Lucas? He deserves so much better! Brooke was fuming silently as she watched this whore of a girl drape herself all over Lucas as he tried to talk to Karen. And talk about disrespect! How dare she maul Lucas like that in front of his own mom. Enough was enough. Time to do some more saving. And to think! This was the girl that had called her for help? No way. There had to be a mistake.
"Hi there! My name's Brooke. You must be Amber. I've heard soooo much about you" she said with a sugar sweet smile on her face. She wasn't going to let on about the phone call. She didn't want to risk embarrassing Luke. Everyone who knew anything about Brooke recognized that smile. Claws were out, poised, just waiting for the signal to dig in.
"Well hi there ma'am. How nice to meet you. Can't says I've the same pleasure, Lucas has never mentioned you." Brooke seethed at the slur, but smoothed right on past it. She knew the bitch was lying, she could tell by the flash of recognition and then jealousy and anger in Amber's eyes when she had introduced herself. After all, she was the one who had called her, right? Now Brooke was seriously beginning to wonder. Maybe she'd been mistaken. Maybe it hadn't been Lucas' girlfriend who had called her. But then, if it wasn't her, then who was it?? Great, yet another mystery to figure out. Maybe Haley would know.
"How funny that. Oh well. I'm sure your..." Brooke eyed Amber up and down, disgust clearly evident in her own hazel eyes, "obvious skills must have been put to good use." Score one for Brooke! She knew the entire diner was watching the scene unfold, and while all she wanted to do was slap the girl across the face, for Lucas' sake, she held her temper. "Well, you two have fun, if you'll excuse Karen and I, we've got some mingling to do. Lucas, nice to see you again. Merry Christmas to you both." Nodding to Lucas, she hooked her arm through Karen's, and rescued her from the nasty woman's presence.
"Oh dear, thank you so much for saving me from that evil woman. I hate what she's done to Lucas, and as much as I try to get rid of her, Lucas keeps defending her. I hope he wakes up soon." Karen sounded so sad, so alone. Brooke resolved to help Karen out in whatever way she could. She didn't deserve to go through this on top of losing her daughter.
Squeezing Karen's hand, they walked and mingled with the rest of the group. Dinner soon arrived, catered, and everyone settled down to eat with friends and family. Lucas sat next to his mother, Amber on his right hand side, while Brooke sat across from Lucas on Karen's left. Haley sat next to Brooke, with James between her and Nathan. Their table was quiet, much quieter than the others, and Haley was fidgeting nervously with her napkin. Karen was listlessly moving her food around her plate, appetite long since lost when she realized she'd have to sit through yet another dinner with the annoying girl.
"So, Amber, tell me. How do you like living in Tree Hill?" Brooke figured the silence had gone on long enough. She was supposed to be the catalyst here right? Well, time to get stirring.
"Oh, alright I guess. It's been fun for the most part, but this town is so quiet! I can see now why Lucas is so good in bed, it's the only thing to do around here!" Amber sneered, hoping to score one on Brooke. Instead all she'd managed to do was piss everyone off at the table, and earn herself some pretty damning stares.
"Amber! That was inappropriate!" Karen was pissed. Here Brooke was trying to play nice, and Amber had to go and make a lowball comment like that. Honestly, just what did her son see in this tramp?
"Sorry mom. Look, Amber and I are going to head home. I'm tired." Lucas mumbled, trying to hide his embarrassment. Not at their sex life being discussed at the table, but at the fact that his girlfriend was being so incredibly trashy. In front of Brooke no less! How did he ever think this was going to turn out okay?
"Oh but hunny, I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm having so much fun getting to know your new friend." Amber whined, sneering at Brooke again. Lucas was visably frustrated by his girlfriend's behavior, and he truly wanted her to leave before she caused more trouble than she already had. Brooke, however, was kind of sad they were leaving. She was enjoying the fire that was slowly building inside her as she egged on the girl. She felt alive. She felt like she had a reason to keep moving, and she was determined to get this girl away from Lucas and Karen. They were so much better than her.
"Amber, now." Lucas' voice was deep with suppressed anger and frustration. He wasn't in the mood for Amber's whining, and he really just wanted to escape from under Brooke's and his mother's gaze.
"Excuse me? You don't talk to me that way!" Amber's high pitched voice turned into something similar to nails on chalkboard, and the entire party turned their eyes on her. Basking in the attention, she preened herself like it was all good.
"You know what? Maybe you should go. This party is meant for friends and family, and you're just ruining the moment." Brooke's quiet voice cut through the tension, and everyone could tell she was thoroughly tired of dealing with the girl. She may have been enjoying arguing with her, but not at the expense of her friends' comfort and peace.
"Oh, and just who do you think you are, telling me what to do? Please. I rule this town, I rule this boy, and I say who goes and who leaves." All pretenses dropped, Amber's voice dripped sarcasm and pure hatred for Brooke.
"You might seriously want to reconsider that. My suggestion is you take what little dignity you have left and leave. You are NOT welcome here." Brooke had slowly raised herself into a standing position, ready to do some bitch slapping if the need arose. Her palm was itching to connect with the arrogant girl's cheek. But for the sake of Lucas and those watching, she restained herself. Which is more than she could say for Amber.
"Ha! I'm not welcome here, but a whore like you is? Puh-lease. Why don't you take your pathetic ass back to New York where you came from. I was -" SLAP! Brooke's hand connected with Amber's cheek, and the sound echoed through out the diner. She couldn't resist. Sorry, but no one, and she meant, NO ONE, bad mouthed her in front or her own face. She'd tried to keep her temper to benefit everyone, but there's no way she'd let someone as slutty and trashy as Amber talk her down.
"Lucas! She slapped me! Do something!" Amber was holding her cheek, shock evident in the fact that someone had physically hit her. The people sitting at the tables were silent, waiting to see what Lucas would do. Brooke saved him from having to make such an awkward decision.
"Amber, I highly suggest you leave. Now. Before I decide to tell you just what I think of you, and your sorely mistaken impression of your role here in Tree Hill." Brooke's voice was deathly serious. She was furious! And to think, she'd been ready to at least give her a chance, seriously! Brooke had been sure she wasn't all that bad, she had at least called Brooke and asked for help. But after that show?! Yeah, she knew it hadn't been Amber. So now not only was she angry, but confused too. Wonderful. Talk about a Tree Hill Christmas!
"Why you..you -" Amber stuttered in her shock and frustration.
"I don't know who you are, but you've clearly overstayed your welcome. I'd suggest you follow my friend's advice here, and leave. Now." In the tension, no one had heard the door chime or seen the curly blonde enter the diner. She was there to support her friend, through everything, and this was no different.
Brooke instantly recognized the voice behind her, and was immensely relieved when Peyton backed her up. While she knew she could take Amber, she didn't want to get in a fight, and Brooke knew that numbers could often cause someone to back down. And Amber was thinking the same thing.
"You know what?! Fine. You win. This round. But I'll pay you back. And to think, I had thought you would help Lucas when I called you. I even went so far as to nearly beg! And this is how you return the gesture? Lucas thinks entirely too highly of you." Amber's nose was in the air, and her tone was all snotty. Brooke gasped, sure that Amber hadn't been the girl that called her. If she had been, then why had she acted so bitchy, and said she hadn't heard of her? What the fuck!?